Sugar
by SunKing
Summary: Edward's side of the Sticky Sweet story. Mostly in order, but it's better to read Sticky Sweet first.
1. Chapter 1

This will be a collection of EPOV from Sticky Sweet. Everything will go in order at first, except for the truck-top stripping scene, which has been donated to Fandom 4 TwiFanG. There may be some random scenes added to the end - futuretakes and additional outtakes - but I'll try to give the time and place in the author notes. Thanks so much for the love you've shown Sticky Sweet Edward. I'm sure you'll agree Sugar is a fitting name for his side of the story.

oOo

I knew who she was the moment she arrived. Her truck was the only thing about her that blended, but even if she'd been dressed like everyone else, I'd have felt her. She'd been my dream for two years—always out of reach except in my head. Then, with no warning, she'd tumbled out of her truck and into my life.

"Holy shit, there's a new girl." Tyler Crowley grabbed the sleeve of my T-shirt and pulled me closer so I could ogle with him.

_Mine._

"You'll keep your hands off."

Tyler stepped back in shock and put his hands up as if to say, "She's all yours," but then seemed to think better of it. His eyes narrowed, and he glanced across the parking lot to see the girl approaching.

"I'd say she's fair game, wouldn't you guys?" He looked around at Mike, Conor, and Eric to find them all nodding in agreement. "I don't think it would take to long to get those lips wrapped around—"

My fist stopped his words.

Tyler stared at me for a moment, shocked and confused, before launching himself into my chest. I went down with a startled _oof_, but gathered my wits quickly.

"Respect, Tyler," I grunted, planting my elbow in his solar plexus. "You don't talk about girls that way, especially not her."

He scrabbled and scratched, trying to free his arms enough to throw a punch, but I had him locked down.

"Edward Cullen!"

Mr. Letner's voice cut through the shouts and jeers of the guys who'd surrounded us, and I surrendered my hold on Tyler with a grin.

"Wouldn't be a school day if you didn't start it in my office, would it?" Mr. Letner tipped his head toward the doors of the school, inviting me to follow him.

I clambered to my feet, resisting the urge to kick Tyler while he was down, and glared at the rest of the guys. "You won't touch her. In fact, if you can't be nice, you won't talk to her. Clear?"

Without waiting to see their reactions, I turned and followed the principal to his office. Mr. Letner was already behind the desk, sitting tall and imposing, even though he knew it wouldn't impress me much.

"Care to tell me what that was about?" He stared down his nose at me.

Had I been a lesser man, I might have cowered. Instead, I shrugged and met his gaze.

"Tyler said some rude things about the new girl. I took a moment to re-educate him on the definition of respect."

Letner's face softened almost imperceptibly. He was a sucker for that word. Motivational posters covered the walls, each offering their own version of the meaning of respect.

"Did you have to resort to violence, Edward? Couldn't you have educated him in a more mature way?"

I snorted. "Tyler doesn't understand big words, sir. I had to speak his language."

Mr. Letner was silent for a few moments, mulling over the situation in his head. "Do you think he learned this time?"

A smirk crept over my face as I nodded. "Oh, yeah. Pretty sure they all did. I reserve the right to school him again, if need be."

The principal rolled his eyes and tried to hide a smile. "And I reserve the right to put you in detention if you do."

He released me without assigning the dreaded detention but stopped me before I could get out the door. "You're a bright kid, Edward. Sometimes I even wonder if you're a genius. Use that intelligence to do something great, not just for planning the next big prank."

I thought of the girl with the chocolate eyes, the girl I'd been dreaming of for two years, and nodded. She was going places, her Granny Edna had told me. And I had every intention of going there, too.

oOo

I can't even begin to thank you all for the love you've shown this little story. I hope this outtake repays some of the debt I owe. There will be more EPOV in the Fandom 4 TwiFanG compilation.


	2. Chapter 2

In the interest of expediency, this is entirely unedited. Thanks so much for reading!

oOo

"Something on your mind?"

Mom was sharp. I should have known she wouldn't miss my brooding, sighing self. I couldn't help it, though. A whole day with Bella Swan in my school. In. My. School. I'd made an ass of myself more than once, but at least she'd smiled. No point in leading her to believe I was something I wasn't.

"New girl."

Mom's lips quirked for a moment, but she managed to subdue the smile. I loved her a little more for it.

"Just one day and you're all torn up?"

It wasn't just one day, of course. But it might as well have been. I was hers the moment I saw her photo. If I hadn't met her until her first day of school, I still would have fallen that hard that quickly.

"It's Bella. Granny Edna's Bella."

We sat in silence as she digested the information. She knew of Bella. I hadn't shut up about her for over twenty-four months. It was embarrassing, really, how much my mom knew about my feelings. She had to have known how far I'd go to make the girl mine.

"Something you're not telling me?" Her voice was soft but firm.

I had no choice but to spill the beans. I told Mom everything, as long as Emmett wasn't around to make fun of me.

"I got detention."

Her lips pressed into a hard line, but her eyes still sparkled with good humor. "If I yelled every time that happened, I wouldn't have a throat anymore."

"I also got in a fight."

Mom's eyes narrowed, and any trace of a smile disappeared. "Is this what the detention was for?"

I fidgeted, pushing my pen around on the paper like I was answering homework, but she knew I was avoiding her. With a sigh, I met her irritated gaze.

"No. I didn't get detention for the fight. Mr. Letner let me off because I kicked Tyler's ass for saying he'd have Bella sucking his—"

"That's enough." Mom interjected, her smile back in place. "I guess maybe your daddy and I raised you right after all. What was detention for?"

I remembered the mortification on Bella's face when she thought she'd have to stand in front of the class and spill her deepest secrets. The air drumming session had simply been an unconscious gesture until I realized I could distract Mr. Banner and maybe save Bella the embarrassment. It had worked like a charm, and detention was a very small price to pay for one of her smiles.

"Disrupting class. I pissed Mr. Banner off so bad he forgot to make Bella introduce herself."

Her shoulders shook with repressed laughter. "Oh, Edward. You make it so hard to be mad at you. You've really got it bad, don't you?"

"For two years. I just don't know what to do now. I kind of think I made an ass of myself today. What if she never takes me seriously?"

A thoughtful expression overtook the amusement. "You're a catch, Edward. She'll see that."

"You're supposed to say that. You're my mom." I rolled my eyes mightily, but I was secretly pleased.

"Just be yourself. You might want to cool it a bit at first. I mean, don't tell her you've been stalking her photos at Granny Edna's or anything. Give her a chance to get to know you before you scare her."

Fair point well made.


	3. Chapter 3

I was such a girl. The pebbles weighed heavily in my hand, itching to take flight toward her bedroom window. I had three chances to get her attention. Well, there was a fourth larger stone, but I would only use it in dire need. There was a good chance it could shatter the glass, and I didn't want to risk that unless I had no other choice.

I could have waited to see her the next day at school. I could have even called her to hear her voice at that exact moment. There were a lot of things I could have done to avoid the possibility of getting shot by her father, but then again…I couldn't. I had to see her right then.

That determination made it easy to launch the first stone toward the second-floor bedroom. When it hit, a light from downstairs went on. Panicked, I ducked behind a bush with my heart racing and palms sweating. Her father would not be thrilled to find the truck-top stripper outside his daughter's window at midnight. I didn't need to see the shotgun or handcuffs to know that.

When no one burst through the front door to kill me, I decided the coast was clear. The second stone hit the glass with a quiet tap, and I was rewarded with the soft glow of a lamp. She'd heard me.

Moments later, her face appeared, relaxed from sleep but curious at the intrusion. When she saw me dancing from foot to foot like a kindergartner who needed to pee, curiosity turned to surprise.

"Come for a walk with me," I whispered, praying my words would carry.

"You're crazy," she hissed.

God, she was so smart.

"It's after midnight."

She started to shut the window, and my stomach dropped. I'd see her the next day, but it didn't matter. I wanted to spend time with her right then, with the stars overhead and none of our loud and nosy friends around. I couldn't tell her those things, but I could find other ways to beg.

"Please? It's the best time to take a walk; you'll see."

She would see, too. The night was clear and cool, but the stars were bright and the clearing by the creek would be dry and perfect for a rest. Maybe even a kiss, if I could screw up the courage to do it.

She smiled, and I knew I had her. When she closed the window, it was because I'd see her face to face within moments. Just in case she got caught on her way down the steps, I hid behind a bush to wait. After a few minutes passed and she still hadn't appeared, I started to wonder if I'd misunderstood.

The front door opened, and I reflexively ducked, just in case it was the sheriff with a gun. Instead, she appeared, wearing a rumpled hoodie and jeans. For some reason, she was more beautiful in those clothes than any of the fancy stuff she wore to school.

"What took you so long?" I whispered, still scared of her father.

Her response was in full voice and filled with amusement. "I had to get dressed and tell my dad where we're going."

Holy shit. Her dad knew I was outside. How was I still living?

"You asked for permission?"

What teenager asks permission? And what cop dad gives it? It was always better to ask forgiveness than permission. I'd learned that when I was five. A pout and a bat of the eyelashes and my mom always gave in.

I'd forgotten Bella was a good girl—the best girl. Of course she'd tell her dad, because she'd never want him to worry about her. And of course he'd give permission, because she'd never given him reason not to trust her. God, I hoped I didn't mess that up for her.

"We have two hours to hang out, and then I'll go back to bed like a good little girl."

Images of her in bed being a good little girl for me nearly knocked me over, and I giggled like a twelve-year-old boy. What the hell could this girl possibly see in me? The harder I tried to respect her, the harder it got. I got. Jesus. I needed to stop.

To ground myself, I took her soft, little hand in mind and took off across the field toward the swimming hole. Probably best not to kiss her. In my current state, there was no way I'd be able to settle for just her lips.


	4. Chapter 4

"Is it even fishing season?" Bella's nose wrinkled as worm guts squirted everywhere.

"What do you mean?"

I cast the line and heard the satisfying splash as it landed somewhere in the dark.

"Well, aren't there certain dates you can go fishing? You know, like deer season, duck season, whatever."

"Um, I don't know. I thought we could fish whenever we wanted. You mean we might be doing something illegal right now?"

Bella stared off in the direction of my fishing hook, wherever it had landed, and shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe it's not illegal if we don't catch anything. Or maybe we just have to throw it back if we do."

Her concern was just too cute. I had to push her just a little more—watch her bite her lip and wring her small hands together.

"Isn't it exciting to know we might be doing something bad?" I waggled my eyebrows at her. "Don't you get a rush from it?"

She snorted and shook her head vehemently. "No, I really don't. I get a sick feeling in my stomach that my own father might throw me in jail."

I had to laugh. Damn, but she was adorable. "Your dad seems pretty cool. I don't think he'd throw you in jail. He didn't even throw me in jail, and he had every right to."

Her cheeks reddened and she ducked her head, probably remembering my ridiculous attempt at impressing her. With my baby blue boxers. I was lucky she still looked at me.

"Sorry for that, by the way." It was the best I could do for an apology without utterly destroying my manhood.

She waved the words away with a smile and met my gaze again. "I wouldn't expect my father to be lenient more than once. Now, are you sure we can catch fish here?"

"No."

Bella reached for the pole in my hand and started the drag the line back in without using the reel. I found it amazing she didn't know how to properly work a fishing rod.

"Wait," I said with a laugh. "I really do mean I'm not sure we can catch fish here. I don't know if it's legal or not, but I'd imagine we've already scared away any fish as loud as we're being. Besides that, I've never even seen a fish in this creek."

Her movements stilled, and she turned big, brown, incredulous eyes on me. "No fish?"

"I'd be very surprised if we caught one. So surprised, I'd probably piss myself."

She clamped her lips into a thin line and turned away, letting me regain control of my fishing rod. After a moment of silence, during which I'd figured she was trying not to laugh, she spoke again.

"Are you telling me we just murdered that worm for nothing?"

Well, I'll be damned. One minute she was afraid we'd catch something and the next she was mad that we wouldn't.

"Good God, you sure are hard to please."

And it only made me love her more.


	5. Chapter 5

"Can you take this pan of Holy Smoke over to Granny Edna?"

Mom plopped the gooey dessert into my hands before I could object, and I set it right back down on the table.

"No way."

Her eyes widened in shock, and she looked back and forth between the food and me. I'd never outright refused to do anything she asked of me, so I could understand where her confusion came from.

"Edward," she started slowly, "please take this over to Granny Edna…now."

I turned and ran from the kitchen, forgetting to take the slice of chocolate cake I'd gone downstairs for. I never forgot my cake, either. It was a night of firsts.

"Edward Anthony, you get your hind end back in here and take this food to Edna and the Swans." Her voice followed me up the stairs, followed by stomping footsteps.

"I can't, Mom. I just can't."

She flung my bedroom door open without knocking and found me facedown on the bed. "What on earth is wrong with you? I didn't realize I had a daughter."

Oh, for the love of God. Well, she did have a point. I was being pretty dramatic, but the thought of facing Sheriff Swan in his own home… Plus, there was the possibility that my arrival would prompt Granny Edna to spill her guts about my crush on Bella. I rocked my forehead back and forth over my pillow, letting my mom know in no uncertain terms that I would _not_ be taking anything across the field.

"What's going on, Edward? Don't you want an excuse to see Bella?"

"No," I mumbled, my voice muffled by the mattress. "I mean, yes. I always want to see Bella."

"I can't understand you. Sit up and talk to me."

With a sigh, I rolled over and flopped onto my back. "I always want to see Bella, but I can't see her dad. Sheriff Swan doesn't like me much. I'm actually surprised I'm still alive."

Mom sat down next to me and brushed my hair from my eyes. "You're a good kid. Why would he want to kill you? There are worse boys who could have eyes on his little girl."

"None-of-them-stripped-in-front-of-her," I muttered, slurring the words together.

"I'm sorry. It sounded like you said you stripped in front of her? You took your clothes off around Bella Swan?"

"Not all of them."

The gentle hand on my forehead turned to steel as it smacked the back of my head.

"And I'm guessing you got caught? I can't imagine Bella confessing that to her father without blushing like crazy."

"Yeah, I got caught. Had to sit in the back of the squad car and listen to him lecture."

She threw her head back and laughed. She was not my mother. My mother would never laugh at my misfortune.

"Oh, Edward. You're lucky you didn't get locked up. I can't believe we're just now hearing this. Charlie should have called us right away. Maybe he doesn't hate you as much as you think."

"I don't want to find out for sure."

"Well, I think punishment is in order, arrest record or not."

I finally sat up and gasped. "You don't think I've been punished enough? I was in the back of the sheriff's car! It smelled like puke—probably from Charlie dragging Hubie Parker home from the bar."

She laughed again, the wretched woman. "Well, I can see you've suffered, but I still think it's up to me to play Mom. Your punishment is to take that over to Granny Edna. You don't have to stop and say hi. You can even use your key and put it in the fridge without anyone knowing. I'll cross my fingers for you that Charlie's not standing right there in the kitchen waiting for you."

I grumbled a few choice words while grabbing my boots from under the bed. "If you call him to tell him I'm coming, I'll disown you."

"Really, Edward. Such drama. When you come back, I hope you're my son again."


	6. Chapter 6

I slipped through the side door of Granny Edna's house, praying I could get back out without catching Charlie Swan's notice. Though the door was unlocked, I still didn't put it past him to arrest me for breaking and entering. My copy of the key probably wouldn't have been convincing evidence otherwise.

Voices carried from the dining room, along with the screech of silverware on plates. I had to grin as Bella teased her father about the lack of meat in his food but then froze when Granny Edna asked her about me.

Well, I sure as hell hoped she meant me.

I stood in the kitchen, Holy Smoke in one hand and the refrigerator door handle in the other, and shamelessly eavesdropped. My heart was racing, my brain swimming, and both froze and fell to the floor in pieces at her response.

"I don't know."

She didn't know? What didn't she know? If I liked her? If _she_ liked _me?_ Oh, God, I hoped she liked me.

When it didn't seem like she'd say anything else, I slipped the dessert in the fridge and turned to go. I couldn't skulk around all night praying for a morsel. It was creepy. Well, it was probably creepy. I wasn't too sure. Charlie probably would have thought it was creepy, though.

I reached for the door handle, ready to slip back out and into the night, when Bella spoke again.

"I really like him—so much more than he likes me."

I did a fistpump. Okay, I did more than that. I danced around that kitchen like a man possessed, high-fiving invisible people left and right. She liked me! She liked me a _lot._ It was the absolute greatest day of my life, and my mother was my favorite person in the world for forcing me to bring dessert to Granny Edna's so that I could overhear the best news of my life.

I was a rock star. I was a king. I was a fucking _ninja_.

Shit. I was a ninja who kicked over a whole stack of pots and pans. Definitely not a ninja. But rock star and king would still do.

As I bent to pick everything back up, it occurred to me all talk from the dining room had ceased. Chairs scraped, feet shuffled, and Charlie Swan cocked his gun.

"Sorry…sorry. It's just me."

_Please, Bella, don't let your dad shoot me. This is the best day of my life, and I'm not ready for it to end!_

I peeked around the doorframe and saw Charlie holding his gun. It was my worst nightmare right in the middle of my favorite dream.

"Don't shoot, for God's sake! I was just dropping in to give Granny Edna a dessert that mom made. I'll knock next time; I swear!"

Charlie rolled his eyes but mercifully tucked his gun away. I was aware he could pull it back out at any time. The only thing that stopped me from running all the way home was the beautiful blush on Bella's face. She probably wondered just how much I'd heard. More than saving my own life, I wanted to let her know the feeling was mutual, but I couldn't do it with an audience. Not when one of those audience members had a gun and more than one reason to shoot me.


	7. Chapter 7

Charlie Swan did not put his gun away while we ate dessert. I was the only one who noticed, but I think he wanted it that way. I watched him almost more than I watched his daughter, which made things a bit awkward. I didn't want to mess up and look at Bella the wrong way, though. It was safer, really, even if he wasn't nearly as pretty as she was.

When we were finished, I ran to the kitchen with everyone's plates, mostly to escape, but also to look good in front of the elders. A little ass-kissing never hurt anyone. Certainly never got them shot.

As I dragged Bella outside with me, I wondered if I'd ever forget that Charlie carried a gun. My guess was no. After I married Bella and we had our first kid, he'd know I'd defiled his daughter. How would I look him in the eye—even as her husband?

"Thanks for bringing dessert over," Bella said softly.

"Huh?"

Right. Not married yet. Not even close to married yet. I still had to tell the girl I liked her.

"Oh…yeah. Of course."

I really needed to rein it in and focus on the matter at hand. Like confessing to my dream girl that I'd been dreaming about her. How does one go about that?

The good news was that she liked me, too. I'd heard her say it. Only, she had some crazy idea that she was the only one feeling these things. I couldn't have that.

"You really think you like me more than I like you?"

Well, shit. Rock star and king titles both revoked with that one. Why couldn't I be smooth like Jasper? Or aggressive like Emmett? Instead of executing a perfect dive into a relationship with the girl, I belly-flopped.

When her face turned bright red, I knew I'd just embarrassed the crap out of her. Before I could backpedal, she actually answered.

"Um, yeah."

Oh, silly, perfect, beautiful girl. There wasn't a chance she could feel more than I did. I'd been living with it for so long. The idea was laughable…ludicrous…

"Impossible. There's no way."

She couldn't understand if I didn't tell her, but that was something for another time, another day. When my balls were twice the size or something. I really needed to get on that, too.

"But until then," I promised, trying to force thoughts of my testicles—and other body parts of that region—out of my mind, "you should know I'm kind of crazy about you."

Her lips were curled up into a radiant smile, and I wanted to kiss that happiness. I wanted to give her my happiness, too. Since my balls were still the same size, I chickened out.

I did pull her closer—as close as I dared—and pressed my lips to her forehead. It wasn't nearly enough, and yet it was perfect. It was perfect because she was perfect.

Mom and Dad were sitting on the couch when I crashed through the front door, and they looked away from the television with knowing smiles.

"Sorry I forced you into going over there," Mom said.

Dad snickered loudly, the traitor.

They both knew—could probably see it all over my face. I didn't care.

Bella Swan liked me.

Rock star.

King.

Oh, what the hell.

_Ninja._


	8. Chapter 8

Cuddling with Bella under a blanket eclipsed every other thing that had ever gone before in my short, ridiculous life, except maybe the moment I kissed her forehead. No, no. When I kissed her _lips_, that would overtake the cuddling. But at that moment, in the stands, freezing my ass off on the cold, concrete bleachers, I'd never been happier. Ever.

There was probably a process—some steps I was supposed to follow. I hadn't had a girlfriend in two years, so I was a little rusty. Chances were very good that I'd gone about everything backward. Who was I kidding? I'd totally gone about everything backward. I fell in love with Bella before I even met her. Didn't get more backward than that.

In keeping with my stellar planning skills, I'd then announced to the whole school through a Justin Bieber song that I was her boyfriend. Well, I guess I'd announced that I wanted to be. I did all of that before I even told the girl I liked her. Backward. So very freaking backward.

With this track record, it shouldn't have surprised anyone that I jumped the gun again. Perhaps I should have asked her if she wanted to be my girlfriend before I started telling people she held that distinction. Instead, I assumed.

That assumption made me deliriously happy, too. Happy enough to drag out a man-sized cheerleading uniform and play the fool in front of the entire town just to see her smile. Never mind the fact that I always cheered for the football and basketball games. Someone had to get the crowd excited, right? But there was something different knowing that she was up in the stands, laughing her ass off at me, blushing when I met her amused gaze, and holding her head up proudly when I called her out in front of everyone.

"I can't feel my nose." Bella rubbed at her face with a rueful grin.

I resisted the urge to pull her close and warm her up with my chest, thinking it might be just a bit too soon.

"Want some hot chocolate?" It was the best I could come up with. Any other ideas involved the bed of my truck and a lot less clothing.

She held my hand as we descended the steps and left me at the concession stand to run to the bathroom. I watched her go in amazement, still unable to believe that she could be mine.

"Edward Cullen, right?"

A breathy voice dragged me out of my reverie, and I turned to find two girls in the opposing team's cheerleading uniforms. Girlfriend or not, I was still a flirt. I winked and smiled, even though I felt a little guilty after.

"That's me. Sorry we're kicking your ass out there, ladies. Enjoy the rest of the game."

I started to walk away with the hot drinks, but the other girl stopped me.

"You had some nice moves out there. I could teach you a few more, if you wanted." She extended a small piece of paper that most likely had her phone number on it.

"That's really nice of you, but I'm not planning to go pro. And if you just wanted to show me how you do the splits, it would be wasted on me. I've got a girlfriend."

The pretty blonde pouted for a moment before tucking the phone number into her cheerleading top with a shrug. "Lucky girl."

"Lucky me," I corrected. "I've been in love with her for two years. There's no one else—not even two beautiful girls from Radnor County. It was nice to meet you both, but I've got to find her before her hot chocolate freezes. Good luck with the rest of the game."

They didn't seem fazed by my rejection. With matching smirks, they headed toward the bathrooms, giggling all the way.

"Whipped." Jasper surprised me so much I almost dropped our drinks. "You are so gone for that girl. I didn't think I'd ever see the day. What did you mean by two years, though?"

My cheeks heated, and I glanced around to see if Bella was nearby. "It's nothing. I need to talk to her first, you know?"

"Suit yourself, man. I will be telling Alice, though."

"Whipped," I retorted.

When Bella exited the bathroom, she didn't look happy to see me at all.

"Girlfriend?" She spat the word like it disgusted her.

Oh, God. I couldn't be her boyfriend if she didn't want to be my girlfriend. I really shouldn't have gone about this backward.


	9. Chapter 9

Shiiiiiiiit. And then shit again. How could I have been so stupid? I was already married to Bella in my head, and she didn't even want to be my girlfriend. There were a lot of steps between that one and where I wanted to be.

I could still ask her. I could still make it right.

But first the apology.

"Is that okay? I mean…I know I should have talked to you first, but—"

"Okay? _Okay?" _

My guess was that it wasn't okay. I didn't even know what to say. Everything I'd dreamed for two years, everything I'd hoped for, it was all slipping away. Bella looked ready to fall to pieces, and I didn't have any idea what to say to make it all better.

"You think it's _okay_ to have a girlfriend for two years and then lead me on? Make me feel _special._ Like you're kind of crazy about me? You want to know if this is all okay?"

Wait. _What?_

She thought I had another girlfriend? How could she think I'd ever look at anyone else when she was within arm's reach?

Right. I'd never told her.

"No, Bella—"

She was still talking, spouting words that made no sense to me. Except the part where she said "kiss." I wanted to do that again so badly. I contemplated the chances of surviving if I were to grab her and kiss her words right out of her mouth. She was radiant in her anger, even as it was directed toward me.

"How could you be in love with someone and do this to me? Does she know about me?"

Did she know about Bella? She _was_ Bella!

"Yes!"

Everything was going to hell quickly, but the one thing I was able to grasp was that Bella wasn't mad that I'd called her my girlfriend. This tiny piece of sunshine stuck with me as she spewed her words of misdirected madness. If she wasn't mad about being called my girlfriend, was there a chance that maybe someday she'd be okay with it?

Hope. Hope filled me and made me dumb. It made me an idiot. Instead of using my words to make things better, I could only nod along as she ripped me to shreds.

And when she walked away, the hope went with her.


	10. Chapter 10

"You all right, Edward?" Dad stood in the doorway of my room, unsure if he should enter or leave me to my misery.

I shook my head, unsure if I wanted him to come in or be left to rot.

"Lose the game?"

I groaned. If only he knew what had been lost.

"Bella hates me."

He took that as an invitation to join me on the edge of my bed. "Didn't seem that way before you left. Something happen?"

That was the question of the century. What the hell had happened?

"I don't know, Dad. One minute, everything was fine. We were cuddling under a blanket and about to drink hot chocolate, and the next, she hated me. Hates me. I don't think it's going away."

Dad looked like he wanted to call my mom in for reinforcements. He wasn't great with the touchy-feely stuff unless he was picking out gifts. He always managed to get the gifts right.

"I think someone told her I have a girlfriend."

That was only thing I could fathom from her half of the conversation before she ran away. My half of the conversation had gone something like "Duh. What? I mean, duh."

"I thought _she_ was your girlfriend."

"I kind of never asked her."

"Huh." He looked around again, probably hoping my mom would magically appear and save him from awkward father-son bonding. "So…"

I decided to spare him. "I don't know, Dad. I told two girls I had a girlfriend and I'd been in love with her for two years. Then I run into Bella, and she starts shrieking about me dating someone else, and I'm just…lost."

We sat in silence for a few minutes. Then Dad threw his head back and let out a guffaw that shook the bed. He laughed so hard he had tears streaming down his face.

"Shit, Edward." He wheezed the words. "You're like some teen drama, a sitcom, and a behavioral study all in one. You haven't put this all together yet?"

"You're a terrible father, I hope you know. Where's Mom? She's so much better at this."

Dad almost rolled off the bed as his laughter grew louder. After a few more minutes, I started to get a little worried about him. He looked like he couldn't breathe. I couldn't decide if I should leave him for dead or call for my mother.

I figured calling Mom would kill two birds with one stone. She could save my father's life and then take over as chief counsel, since he sucked so horribly at it.

"Dad's dying!" I yelled down the stairs. "Take your time, though. He's choking 'cause he's laughing at me. He deserves to suffer a little bit."

Mom did take her time coming to check on us, and by the time she arrived, Dad had wiped his tears and looked properly sympathetic. He even had his hand on my shoulder, the big faker.

"What's going on up here?" Mom looked between us and narrowed her eyes.

Dad lost his shit again and had to leave the room. That meant I had to explain it all to Mom all over again. It hurt more the second time. To my mother's credit, she was better at biting the inside of her lip than Dad was. Oh, but she was amused.

"You don't see what's happened here? I thought you were smart, Edward."

"I'm pretty smart until it comes to her," I admitted.

"Well, your track record certainly supports that hypothesis. You never told her you'd been crushing on her for two years. Then these girls talk about the girlfriend you've been crazy about since before you and Bella actually met. What's she supposed to think, Edward? Why would she deduct that girl is her? As far as she knows, you've known her since August."

Slowly—so slowly it should have embarrassed me—the facts came together. Son of a bitch. Bella really thought I was in love with someone else. Well, that was easy to fix.

In theory.


	11. Chapter 11

"Where are you going? It's almost midnight."

Mom's reprimand didn't even slow me down. I was out the door and halfway across through the woods to Bella's before my mother could even get off the couch to chase me. I stopped at the creek to find some small pebbles since the ones in Bella's driveway would shatter the glass. Asking for forgiveness would be hard enough without also apologizing for property damage.

I managed to get two launched before Charlie Swan opened the door, wearing his Dad Face. Still, he didn't have his gun, and he didn't look like he was itching to grab it, either.

"Get in here and leave her alone."

Those were the nicest words he'd ever said to me.

"You've done it, boy. I don't know what, but if she's this upset, it must have been pretty bad."

"I just want to explain…" My eyes drifted toward the steps, and I wondered if she knew I was there. Could she hear me trying to apologize?

"Well, now, I reckon you'll just have to wait until she's ready to hear you. Until then, stop throwing rocks at this house, you hear me?"

Charlie took my elbow and gently but firmly led me back to the front door. When we were on the porch and the latch clicked behind us, he leaned in and whispered.

"Look, I knew this whole dating thing would have to happen sooner or later, and I can't deny you're a damn sight better than any other dumb shit in this town. You're going places, Edward. None of the other kids around here seem to have any ambition. That's good enough for me. You make this right, you hear me? I don't want her taking up with some other idiot and settling down here instead of going to college."

Somewhere in there he'd called me an idiot, but I didn't mind. He'd also pretty much given me his blessing.

The trip back home was taken on lighter feet, but I tripped just inside the door when I found Mom and Dad on the couch waiting for me.

"It's a Friday night." I defended myself before they could even speak. "And I didn't drive anywhere."

Dad's lips twitched, and Mom rolled her eyes. They were not my parents. Real parents wouldn't laugh at their kids, would they?

"You're not in trouble, son. We just wanted to be here for you when you got back. Everything go okay?" Dad looked properly concerned, but Mom elbowed him with a snort.

"We were sure Charlie would chase you back across the field. Should we expect company soon?"

And there was the real story. Mom could always be counted on for honesty.

I drew myself up and stuck out my chest. "He gave me his blessing."

"So you got to see Bella?" Dad asked, his eyes showing his surprise.

"Well, no. But he told me he was rooting for me. That's as close to a blessing as I can get, right?"

Mom's smile was finally genuine and full of hope for me. "I guess you need a game plan."

Dad couldn't help getting one last jab in. "You sure we shouldn't expect Charlie and his gun soon?"

I stomped to the stairs without looking back.

"You are not my parents."


	12. Chapter 12

I had a plan.

It was a crappy plan, of course, but a plan nonetheless. Since Bella seemed to think I had someone else on the side, I needed some way to show her she was that someone. The one on the side, the one in front of me, just…the one. I had to do all of that without scaring her or getting myself arrested for stalking.

Who was I kidding? I was going to lose the girl and go to jail. And my parents would probably laugh. I couldn't even imagine the teasing I'd suffer from my brother, but at least I'd managed to keep him out of things for the most part.

The thing about my plan was that it hinged on talking to Bella alone. Step one of that plan was proving impossible because Rosalie and Alice hadn't left her side since she'd stepped out of her truck that morning. I was stuck watching her and—let's face it—pining after her.

I took my time at my locker, hoping to catch a glimpse of her on the way to lunch. I didn't want to make her uncomfortable, so I planned to stay away. Just seeing her would have to do until biology.

"Where's your girl?" Mike opened the locker next to mine and tossed some books inside. "You're usually dry humping her right about now."

Before I could form a response, the rest of the guys joined him.

"Strike out, Cullen?" Tyler backed away after talking smack, probably worried I'd tackle him like I had on the first day of school, but the smirk remained firm.

I couldn't even muster the energy to deck him. All of my focus was on the plan—whatever the hell that was. The look on my face must have been as fierce as my fist, because he backed away even further and then dragged Mike and Eric down the hall.

The librarian looked shocked when I entered the room quietly and took a seat in the corner. The last time she'd seen me, I'd taken any book that had the word sex in it and moved them all to their own section. Mrs. Lindell eyed me for several minutes until she was satisfied I wouldn't move any of precious books and then left me to finish my plan.

What was my plan? It would have to be a note since Bella wouldn't talk to me. I'd have to make it the very best, sweetest, most sincere note ever.

_Bella,_

_I've been looking at pictures of you for two years and wishing you were mine._

Well, that sounded pretty creepy.

_Bella,_

_I haven't stopped thinking about you since the first time I saw you two years ago. I've filled out college applications for every college in Arizona, and I was just waiting for your Granny Edna to tell me which one you chose._

Also creepy. In addition to stalker, I could add pathetic to my title.

The bell rang, signaling the end of lunch period and the beginning of the longest hour of my life. I crumpled the note and shoved it in my pocket. With my luck, Tyler would find it and destroy me with it.

I trudged down the hall to grab my books, no further along in my plan than where I'd started. I was going to have to wing it. Come up with smooth words on the fly. That would work…I'd been super smooth so far. I smacked myself on the forehead and cursed.

_God, help me._


	13. Chapter 13

She said yes. Well, she wrote _fine_, but that was a yes. She said yes to my ridiculous, vague, rambly note. How I'd managed to stumble through it and get the answer I needed, I had no idea. And then, after I got her yes, I had to sit through two more hours of school before I could actually talk.

But at least she'd said she would listen.

The moment the final bell rang, I tore off down the hall, eyes down, ignoring all the whispers, so I could get my truck and beat her to Granny Edna's house. I needed the old lady on my side.

"Edward! Come on in, honey. We weren't sure we'd see you for a while."

_Ouch. Thanks, Granny Edna. You better have cookies._

"Lucky for you, I have some cookies fresh from the oven."

I knew I loved that woman. I let her lead me to the living room and get me settled with gooey chocolate chip goodness and milk.

"So, what seems to be the problem, dear?"

Through garbled words slowed by chewing, I relayed the story. She was kind enough not to laugh until I got to the part where I confessed I'd never told Bella I knew who she was.

"Oh, my. That does put you in a bit of a pickle. I almost told her myself that night you brought over Esme's Holy Smoke, but you made that racket in the kitchen and I plumb forgot."

I resisted the urge to facepalm, figuring I'd already hurt myself enough. If I hadn't been doing ninja kicks and knocking over pots and pans, this whole thing wouldn't have happened.

"Well, you're a good kid, Edward. I always thought you were a bit too devoted to my photo albums, but if it all works out, I won't hold that against you."

She tempered her words with another cookie, so I forgave her again. I heard Bella's truck rumble into the drive, and hurried to cram the last bite into my mouth. I was still chewing when she opened the door, and I was lost.

Granny Edna made herself scarce, leaving me to shoulder the brunt of Bella's hostility. I opened my mouth and said the first thing that came to mind, my only thought that I needed to convince Bella that she was the girl, the only girl, for more than two years.

"I was sitting right here the first time I saw her."

When her eyes narrowed, I knew it was the worst thing I could have said.

"More, Edward. There's gotta be more."

Oh, and there was. There was so much more. I was just scared to death to tell her. I was also covered in chocolate from Granny Edna's cookies, looking the fool and feeling like it, too. I couldn't have looked more like a douche if I'd tried.

Slowly, I took her through the story—how I'd seen her first high school picture and fallen in love immediately. She didn't take exception to the years of photo stalking like I'd expected. Instead, she was shocked I'd found her frizzy hair and braces attractive.

I'd been the scrawniest, pimpliest fourteen-year-old in Cedar Ridge, so she'd been an angel by comparison. The looks hadn't mattered, though. Her eyes were what drew me in and held me until she'd arrived to snare me with the rest of her.

She seemed to be taking everything stride, which surprised the hell out of me. I'd expected some screaming and maybe even an appearance by Charlie and the handgun.

"Why didn't you just tell me?"

And there was the question that I couldn't answer without looking like a creep.

I was going to do it anyway.


	14. Chapter 14

_Time to nut up._

This was the moment—the moment everything could be either fixed completely or destroyed beyond repair. It all depended on Bella's personal definition of _stalker._ According to mine, I was one. I mean, I'd never sat outside her house or tapped her phone lines or whatever, but I had ogled her photos for years without her consent or knowledge.

The part where I told her I was aware of her—that I'd known who she was—had gone off without a hitch. I could only be so lucky. That thought made me laugh, but I wasn't amused.

"Tell you what? That I came over every day after that to sit and go through photo albums with your Granny Edna? That I pumped her for stories about you, asked about guys you might be dating, got jealous if she mentioned any boy's name? Is that what I should have told you? Or how about the fact that I started paying attention in school for the first time in my life? I'm still a goof, but I never missed a homework assignment or got anything lower than a B on anything after that, because your Granny Edna said you were a good student who was going places. I was just like everyone else in this town until she told me that. I've been collecting college applications to every school in Arizona, saving up every cent so I could go wherever you went and finally meet you. Should I have told you that?"

Nice one. I couldn't talk to her for months, and then the dam broke. I should have brought her flowers…or chocolate. Anything to sweeten the gush of words I'd just drowned her in.

And I wasn't done, apparently.

"You got out of the truck on the first day of school, and I knew exactly who you were. I thought I'd play it safe and check things out…see if you might like me even a little bit. It seemed like you were doing your best to shut me out, so I stepped up my game. I talked to my mom…"

I'd called her New Girl to keep from calling her Bella…to avoid tipping her off that I already knew who she was. I'd kept calling her New Girl because the only outward sign she showed that I affected her was the flash of irritation when I refused to use her real name. It was intoxicating…addictive. She was beautiful in her ire.

"Mom told me to just be myself, let you get to know me slowly so I wouldn't overwhelm you with my stupid crush. But the more I got to know you, the more I fell…"

In love. Jesus, I loved her so much. Why couldn't I stop talking? Why didn't she say something—anything—to shut me up, even if it was to scream and order me to leave?

"The girl…the cheerleader…"

And still she didn't see. Did she not understand she was _it_?

"There is no cheerleader, Bella."

_Do it. Tell her. Tell her everything._

"You're it. You."

I deserved a trophy. At least a plaque or something. Hell, I'd be happy with a certificate. _The Nut-Up Award, for farking idiots who finally tell it like it is, goes to Edward Cullen._

"She said you've been in love…" Her voice trailed off.

Oh. That part. So I hadn't told it like it was. My Nut-Up Award was rescinded on the spot. I decided to go for gold.

Summoning everything I had, I crossed the room and knelt in front of her. ""Please don't let that scare you, Bella. It's true."

Her eyes flashed with something like joy. I didn't dare believe it—not until I'd told her everything. How could a pimply, fourteen-year-old idiot really know love?

"I thought I was in love with you before I met you, but it was just a picture…a story about a pretty girl on the other side of the country. But then I met you, and yes. I fell in love with you."

She said nothing, but her eyes brimmed with unshed tears. Jesus, I hoped they were good tears. If they were bad tears, she had to know I'd still love her anyway, even if she made me go away.

"I hope that's okay, but nothing will change if it's not."

And holy shit if she didn't nod. And _smile. _I was just steps away from having it all. With just a few more words, I might be able to hold Bella in my arms and really call her mine. The last step was letting her know that I wasn't messing around, contrary to popular belief or opinion.

"I've never been more serious about anything in my life. I flirted with others when you weren't here just to…I don't know…pass the time, I guess. To keep people from wondering why I didn't date. I couldn't. I compared everyone to you. But I am serious about you. I want to flirt with only you, hold hands with only you, and…kiss—"

She grabbed the front of my shirt in her little fist, and I prepared myself for the slap. But she didn't hit me. She pressed her beautiful, amazing, miraculous mouth to mine and killed me a million times.

Holy mother of… Her tongue swept across my lips, asking me for more, and I gave it. Shy and sweet, warm and wet, it was so much more than I'd ever dreamed, as I lost myself in her. The taste, the feel, the twisting in my chest as she stole whatever was left of my heart. The slip and slide of her hair through my fingers, the satin of her skin against the rough scrape of mine. I never wanted to forget any of it, ever. I could have held her right there for the rest of my life and never wanted for another thing.

I forgot about Charlie and his gun.

"Well, at least you have all your clothes on."

The man would never let me live it down. He'd probably include the truck-top erotic dance in his toast at our wedding. Our wedding…which would lead to—

"Let's keep it that way."

Or maybe not.

Probably best that we didn't get out of hand. Actually, it was a good idea for me to get the hell out of Dodge before I could screw it all up again. My track record wasn't so hot. Before I could go, I had to be sure.

"Are you my girlfriend again?"

"If you're my boyfriend."

Silly girl. I was hers the moment I saw her. Still, I'd gotten into trouble because I didn't say what was on my mind. I took a deep breath and said what I should have told her on the first day of school when she tumbled out of her truck.

"I'm yours."

oOo

This was kind of the end of Sticky Sweet, save for the epilogue. It won't be the end of Sugar, I don't think. As long as people keep loving it, I'll keep writing it. The updates probably won't be daily, but they'll be pretty frequent. Also, I'll be working on a ::cough:: special ::cough:: futuretake that will NEVER be posted here because of the rating. You'll have to keep your eyes on updates here for the announcement, or you can follow me on twitter at sk_stories for the word. As always, thank you so very, very much for the support and reviews. So much love.


	15. Chapter 15

This is a little future scene when the kids are at college. It was mentioned in the epilogue of Sticky Sweet, but I thought you might want the whole story. Here it is.

oOo

I knew exactly what she was doing when she twirled her hair and looked up at me through her eyelashes. It was what Bella did when she wanted me to carry her to the bedroom. On my girlfriend, it was gorgeous. On Lauren, it was ridiculous.

"Is there something in your hair?" I feigned concern with the hope she'd stop playing with it.

"You're so cute," she simpered in return.

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. "Thanks. So the presentation—how are we gonna do this?"

Dr. Lloyd was officially on my shit list for pairing me with the vapid president of Lambda Nu, and no one wanted to be on my shit list. I mentally made a to-do list that included shaving cream, condoms, toilet paper, shoe polish, eggs, and his brand new Chevy Tahoe. The hope was that he'd never make the same mistake again.

"Do you want to come to the sorority house tonight and work on this?"

_Ew, no. _

"The library's fine," I asserted. "Just fine. Better than fine."

The moment we were dismissed, I dragged my bag off the table and ran for the door. Lauren followed close behind, making promises to have her roommate take a hike so we'd have peace and quiet.

"Library," I repeated, stopping in front of the elevator and hitting the down button with force.

Where the hell was the elevator? I punched the button again, knowing it wouldn't make the car appear faster.

"But we could have beer after—"

I left her there waiting for the lift and headed for the stairs. I didn't care to walk down five flights, especially since the girl couldn't keep up with me in her heels. I'd underestimated her, though. She kept pace just fine, and even ran into my back when I spotted something outside and came to a screeching halt.

"What are you doing?"

I ignored her as I threw open the window and stuck my head out. There, five stories below, was the girl of my dreams.

"Bella!"

She looked up and frowned when she saw Lauren hanging over my shoulder.

_Oh, no, baby. I don't flirt anymore. Not with anyone but you._

"Attention, everyone!"

I then had an audience of about a hundred students milling around the science building. Perfect.

"I want you all to know I love Bella Swan. I love you, baby. Just you and always you."

My beautiful girlfriend blushed but didn't try to hide her face. Her eyes shone as she mouthed the words in return.

Feeling like a rock star, a king, and a ninja, I turned to the stunned girl behind me. "I don't want to hurt your feelings, but _that's _the girl I'm gonna marry someday. I'm not gonna mess it up by doing this project at your house. The library is fine."


	16. Chapter 16

This is a little prequel of sorts. Hope you like it!

oOo

"Get over there and help Edna and Jerry with those cows."

Mom wasn't taking no for an answer. Emmett already had his shoes on, so I wasn't getting any help from him. With a groan, I threw down the game controller and stomped to my closet to find my boots.

"You swore this wouldn't become a habit," I grumbled as I passed her on my way out the door.

"You'll help as much as she needs. Jerry can't do it all on his own, especially not since he's been so sick lately. You can be a gentleman and help her with the farm."

"Whatever."

I grumbled and kicked cow shit through all the tasks, shoving my brother when he tried to rub manure in my face. We were gross, sweaty, and really smelly when Edna called us into the house.

"Cookies!" I shouted, passing Emmett on my way to the front porch.

He swiped at me and missed, but made up for that when he caught up to me at the door. We tumbled together over the threshold and came to a stop at Edna's feet.

"Hey, boys." She wasn't the least bit upset that we'd nearly knocked her over. "Come have a seat."

I plopped down on the couch just as Emmett said, "Oh, no, we're gross."

He gave me a look as dirty as my shirt, but it was too late. I was already spreading cow shit all over the upholstery.

"You're gross, Edward. Are you gonna at least wash your hands before you eat?"

I looked at the brown coating my fingers and grinned. "Probably should."

We headed for the bathroom and cleaned up some. Emmett shoved me out of the way and finished first. When I got back to the living room, he'd already taken his cookies and run.

"Come on back and have a seat, dear."

I was stuck. I couldn't say no to sweet Granny Edna. With a sigh, I trudged over and plopped back down. She passed me a plate of cookies and a glass of milk, and I started shoving them in my mouth as quickly as I could while she chattered inanely about some grandkid in Arizona.

Just before I choked down the last of the milk, Jerry tromped through the front door with the mail.

"Letter from Charlie," he said gruffly, nodding once to acknowledge me.

I couldn't leave then without looking rude, so I waited patiently for Jerry to open the envelope. He smiled and passed something over to Edna.

"Oh, this is her. This is our little Bella."

She turned the page toward me, and my world came to a screeching halt.

Big brown eyes, long brown hair… Her smile was sparkly from the braces, but I didn't care. She was beautiful.

"It's her first high school photo," Edna told me. "She's a freshman, just like you. I've got some of her other picture in that album over there."

I wanted to see those pictures, and any other pictures Edna got in the future. It was all I could do to keep from snatching the one she held and running home with it. With no other obvious plan, I turned to Granny Edna and smiled.

"Are there any more cookies?"

I was settling in for the long haul. It was time to learn about Bella.


	17. Chapter 17

If you asked any red-blooded American guy, he'd tell you the only reason to go to prom was what happened after. The girl I wanted to take to prom was the daughter of the county sheriff, so I wouldn't have told the truth under threat of torture. To be honest, I didn't expect anything anyway. I hoped, though. Jesus, I hoped.

Talking Bella into going to prom wasn't going to be easy. Alice was determined to get her into something too tight and too short, of which I approved, and cram her feet into shoes that would likely cause her to break her neck. Hey, we'd all seen her try to walk around in tennis shoes. Heels were a bad idea. I was totally on my girlfriend's side with that one.

I wasn't going to force her to do anything she didn't want to do. I wasn't against flirting to get my way, however.

"Guess who's up for Prom King and Queen?" Alice plopped down at the lunch table, excitement painted all over her face.

"You." Bella offered this with a deadpan expression.

"Well, yes. But we don't have a chance against the cutest couple in school." She waggled her eyebrows at both of us with a big, silly grin.

"We are pretty cute, aren't we?" I wrapped an arm around Bella's neck and pulled her in for a quick kiss.

"And it only seems right you take your brother's title from last year," Jasper interjected.

A nomination for Prom King was not exactly on his list of to-dos, but then Bella didn't seem too jazzed about it all either.

"I thought girls loved prom. What's the deal, Bella?" Jasper looked truly curious—like he wanted to solve the problem for her.

She shrugged. "Dancing's not my thing. I mean, I'm a klutz; that much is clear. But then, I'm also really bad at it. I mean, I just look stupid. Really, really stupid."

Her face glowed red for a moment before she buried it in my chest to hide her embarrassment. I ran my hand over her hair and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.

"We don't have to dance." I whispered this right into her ear, brushing my lips over the tender skin there as I did so. "I just want a chance to treat you like a princess all night long."

The _all night long_ had much more meaning than I let on. With a mischievous grin, she leaned into me a bit more and slid her nose up the edge of my jaw.

"I thought everyone wanted me to be queen," she breathed.

"That could be arranged," I promised, discreetly adjusting myself.

She sat back with an expression of pure satisfaction and shook her head. "You're too good at this. You already treat me like a princess, baby."

"You deserve even more. Come on, Bella. Let Alice pamper you and put you in a dress that makes you feel as special as you are. And then let me pick you up in a fancy car and take you to the best dinner of your life before we go watch all the idiots at this school bump and grind on the dance floor."

"And then?" she whispered, her eyes dark and full of promise.

Holy shit. Bella Swan was onto me.

oOo

I love Sugarward, but I must warn you the updates might become less frequent. First of all, I'm ramping up to the special outtake that's coming soon. I don't want to build too quickly and release prematurely. You know.

Also, I'm working on something lots and lots of fun with justaskalice. We're going to finish it before posting, but it's going quickly. If you want, you can put JustAskSunKing on alert to get it the moment we start posting.


	18. Chapter 18

"Did you get your tux yet?"

Jasper plopped down in the seat across from me and eyed me over his Coke can.

"Why do you sound like a girl?"

He allowed a smile and shook his head. "Trust me. If you want to keep your girl happy around prom time, you have to think like a girl. That means talking about shopping and flowers and shit. So, I ask again—did you get your tux yet?"

"You forget I have the most amazing girlfriend in the entire world. _I_ had to talk _her_ into going to prom. Everything I do from here on out is just bonus points."

Jasper laughed until he snorted. "Jesus, you're such a dumbass sometimes. You may have had to convince her, but now that she's on board, you better bring your A game. I'm not kidding. The prom is like…the wedding without the commitment. If you mess this up, she'll never forgive you."

He said wedding. My heart did a little flip at the word, and I had to busy myself with my pizza so Jasper wouldn't see. He already called me whipped, though he had a lot of room to talk with the way Alice'd had him tied up in knots for years.

"I didn't rent it yet, but I found it. Bella's going to love it. It's camouflage."

Soda spewed out of Jasper's mouth and nose, covering me, my lunch, and most of the table.

"Please tell me you meant to say something else."

"No way, dude. Camouflage. The whole thing. Pants, jacket, vest, bow tie… The only thing that's not is the shirt. I have to buy my own."

"You are the dumbest son of a bitch that ever lived. I'm glad you didn't already pay for it." He dropped his voice when he saw the girls approaching. "You better cancel your order or whatever and get a real tux. She'd probably let you by with a suit, as long as it's a really nice one, but you can't wear camouflage to the prom. She'd never forgive you."

I narrowed my eyes at him, certain he was wrong. I had the coolest girlfriend in the world, and she'd think a camouflage tux was the funniest thing ever.

"Watch." I mouthed the word to Jasper, confidence in my girl nearly brimming over.

"I got my tux today." I pulled Bella into my lap as I spoke.

Her eyes shone with excitement. "Is it nice?"

"It's perfect. The whole thing is camouflage."

She giggled helplessly and pressed a kiss to my temple. "You're such a nut. Of course it's camouflage. I wouldn't expect anything else."

Alice glared daggers at me but didn't say a word. I was too busy reveling in my victory over Jasper to notice he was about to speak.

"You do know he's serious, right? He picked out the whole thing, down to the bow tie. It's brown and green."

Bella froze in my arms. "You really got a camouflage tux?"

Her face was pale and drawn, all traces of humor gone.

_Whoa. Prom is important. Duly noted._

"Shut up, Jasper. I didn't really get the camouflage tux, baby. We're just teasing you."

Jasper kicked me under the table, and I bit my lip to keep from shouting. So he was right. Big deal.

Actually, it was a big deal. If he hadn't said anything, I'd have ruined my girl's whole high school experience. With my head hanging in defeat, I glanced across the table. Ignoring his smug smile, I mouthed more words.

"Thank you."

oOo

justaskalice and I are posting a drabblefic under the name JustAskSunKing called Off the Market. It's also fluffy and a little silly. You should go check it out.

As always, thanks so much for all the love!


	19. Chapter 19

I wanted to kill Alice for making my girl feel inadequate. Pulling her aside to give her hell had to suffice. How could she not have considered the cost when she made appointments at some of the most expensive salons in Knoxville for prom day? Did it even run through Alice's mind that Charlie had enough on his plate, caring for an elderly woman and paying to keep her house and small farm in working order, without having to shell out hundreds of dollars for Bella to get her hair done for one night? My beautiful girl had told Alice in no uncertain terms that she'd do everything herself.

_Here I come to save the day!_

I felt like a hero when I knocked on the door, but when Charlie answered, I deflated a bit.

"The prom's not for eight hours, Cullen." He huffed through his mustache, but his eyes twinkled.

"Uh, I know, sir. I was going to see if Bella wanted to go have her hair and makeup done in Knoxville."

Charlie stepped out onto the front porch and shut the door behind him. "Now, son, I know you mean well, but we really just can't afford it. If Edna hadn't had that dress up in the attic, Bella wouldn't even have something to wear."

I stepped back and gulped. Sharing that with me must have cost Charlie a lot. We'd all watched as the family struggled to keep it together since moving to Cedar Ridge, and I'd hated to see Bella taking all her clothes to a consignment shop just so she could pay for school things. Their pride was about the only thing they had left, and he'd just spent a lot of it.

"We're not going where Alice is going. There's another place… My aunt Carmen owns it. They'll pamper her and make her feel special, and Carmen said she'd only charge twenty dollars for the day. Family discount and stuff."

My mom was amazing.

Charlie huffed again and crossed his arms, but the sparkle in his eyes told me I'd won. He nodded once and opened the door to usher me in.

"Bella," he called. "Edward's here."

She flew down the steps, wearing ratty jeans, a button-up shirt she'd stolen from my closet, and some ridiculous purple goop on her face. She was gorgeous.

"What are you doing here? Prom's not until tonight. I'm not ready. I haven't even started." Her words jumbled together as she reached the bottom of the stairs and fell into my arms.

"And you still have a little something on your face," Charlie pointed out helpfully.

She shrank back in horror and planted her hands right into the middle of the mess on her cheeks with a squelching slap.

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Christ, I loved her.

"You can't be here," she babbled. "You can't see me like this. I'm not going to look like this tonight; I promise."

I pulled her closer and took her hands in mine, ignoring the sticky facemask coating our fingers. "You're gorgeous. But you shouldn't have to do all this yourself. Let me take you to see my Aunt Carmen. She gives me really good deals on my haircuts because I'm family. I know she'll take good care of you. Whatever you want, baby."

Charlie cleared his throat, and I felt heat rush to my cheeks. Well, she was my baby. He'd have to get used to that.

"But I—" Bella started, flapping her hands nervously. "I'm a mess."

"Go on, baby." Charlie cut his eyes to me, a silent challenge in their depths.

Fine, fine. She was still his baby, too. But she was my girl.

"Go wash your face and get your stuff. Let Edward's aunt pamper you today."

She didn't need to be told twice. In a flash, she was back up the steps and making an unholy racket as she grabbed her things.

"Thank you for doing this, son. You, or your mom, or your aunt. Whoever was smart enough to know what a girl needs on prom day. Is it really only twenty bucks?"

His gaze held a bit of an accusation, but I didn't take it to heart. I'd have paid the extra, if my aunt charged it.

"Carmen said she'd do it for free, but I told her Bella would want to pay something."

Charlie nodded, a smile finally forming. He didn't need to know there was a price for me to pay, but I'd do it gladly. It wasn't money, though. Carmen said I had to have everything done that Bella did—hair, nails, the works. It was going to be a long day.


	20. Chapter 20

"Edward, this place is really nice." Bella gripped my hand and stared around the salon with wide eyes.

"I know."

I was really proud of my Aunt Carmen. She'd worked really hard to make Dandelion the top salon in Knoxville's Old City. Of course, I hadn't told Bella where we were going. She'd have made me turn the car around. Alice would be really jealous when she found out she'd gone to Blaze while Bella got pampered at Dandelion, but she should have thought about that before making appointments and thus embarrassing my girl.

"She can't charge me twenty dollars for this," Bella hissed. "Look at—"

"Family discount, babe." I pretended to polish my fingernails on my shirt and grinned. "Come on. She's gonna love you."

I dragged her through the door into the wide-open space inside.

"—the chandeliers." Bella continued as if I hadn't spoken. "And the flowers. Oh, it's so pretty."

"Edward!"

I looked away from Bella and saw Carmen headed in our direction. She was grinning from ear to ear and couldn't tear her eyes from my girlfriend. Yeah. I was chopped liver. I didn't care, though. Why would anyone want to look at me when Bella was around?

"Hey, Aunt C. This is Bella. Bella, my favorite aunt, Carmen."

"You are gorgeous," Carmen gushed, tucking a stray lock of hair behind Bella's ear. "Come, tell me all about your dress so we can figure out what to do with your hair."

Bella looked back at me with wide eyes, but I smiled and waved her on.

Carmen kept talking as she walked. "You, too, Edward. Don't forget our agreement."

I chuckled and followed them to the sinks in the back. Carmen was settling Bella in for a shampoo, so I took the chair next to her. One of the younger girls approached with a friendly smile, but my aunt waved her away.

"You do Bella over here. I'll take care of my nephew."

For a moment, I wanted to argue that Bella deserved the owner's attentions, but I caught a glimpse of relief on my girl's face. A glance at the disappointed shampoo girl said everything.

Jeez, my Aunt Carmen was smart.

"You excited, baby?"

I probably didn't need to use schmoopy nicknames, but it was important to me that I identify Bella as my girl in front of everyone. No flirting with others—not even innocently.

A grin bloomed on her face, and I knew I'd done it exactly right. She nodded and leaned back to start the day of pampering. I settled in to suffer right along with her. No one could ever have gotten me to admit it, but I really enjoyed the shampoo part. Carmen used tingly stuff that felt really good.

Okay, and I really enjoyed the manicures, too. There's nothing wrong with a guy having clean hands and nice fingernails, right?

Fine. I also enjoyed the pedicure, too. I'd have dared anyone to sit in a massage chair for an hour and get a foot rub to say they hated it.

What I didn't like was my hair. I kept my gaze on Bella as they put her long, dark locks on huge rollers, painted her lips a brilliant red, and lined her eyes in dark pencil. I hadn't thought she could look any prettier, but I shouldn't have doubted Carmen. I was so stuck on Bella that I didn't pay attention to what the young stylist did to me.

Until she turned the chair so I could see her handiwork.

"It's a bouffant!" I leapt from the seat and started to mess it all back up again.

"Stop," Bella said softly.

My hands froze halfway to my head.

"If you touch that, I'll be forced to kill you."

I turned to give her an _are you crazy_ look but was distracted by her expression.

She looked like she wanted to pounce on me…and maybe mess up my new bouffant herself.

"I look like James Dean," I muttered.

"I know." Her tone was reverent.

_Well, then._

oOo

Don't forget I'll be posting a fun outtake soon on another profile. It'll be M rated, so I can't post it here. We're leading up to it with all this fun prom stuff. If you want to stay on top of things, you can follow me on twitter at sk_stories. I also like to post photos of things from the story there—like Edward's bouffant and camouflage tux. Bella's dress will be posted soon, as well as her hair. Fun stuff. Also, I sometimes drunk tweet. I like it when people answer, drunk or sober.

justaskalice and I have been posting a story under JustAskSunKing. It's called Off the Market, and it's so much fun. We post two chapters per day until it's done. I hope you'll go check that one out, too. She's awesome.


	21. Chapter 21

After I dropped Bella off at her house to get dressed, the nerves set in. If everything went according to plan, and her father didn't kill me at some point between picking Bella up and her three a.m. curfew, I would no longer be a virgin the next morning.

We hadn't exactly discussed the details, but she knew I'd gotten a hotel room down the street from the event hall where the prom was being held. She never looked nervous when we hinted at the night's potential, and her confidence in me had kept my nerves at bay. With everything crashing down and just a few hours before I had to pick her up again, self-doubt crept in.

I had no idea what I was doing. Zero clue. We'd fooled around a little bit, and I'd watched her orgasm several times. But sex…it scared me. Not the pleasure part of it. Holy shit, I was excited about that. I just had no idea how to, well, please her. I'd heard stories. I'd be lucky to last more than thirty seconds, especially as hot as she got me just by licking her lips.

Which led to the certainty that she'd laugh at me. If I was lucky, she wouldn't share my failings with Rose and Alice, but I'd have to live with her disappointment forever.

Just as I'd decided to skip the sex, my phone rang. I tossed my vest onto the bed, glad for one more minute without wearing it, and snatched up the cell.

"So it's prom night," Emmett said without preamble.

I imagined his eyebrows waggling and sighed.

"Yep." My reply was clipped. Emmett didn't often call just to chat; he usually found more than one way to make me feel like an ass.

"Special plans, brother of mine?"

He didn't take long to travel down the road toward Edward's Embarrassment.

"Uh, yeah. The _prom_. Dancing, cheap food laid out on fancy plates, doing the YMCA… You know, prom. You did it last year."

"The prom doesn't last until Bella's curfew, though. You've got something up your sleeve for after, don't you?"

I flopped down on the bed with a sigh. "Why would I tell you this, Emmett? I already got my hair and nails did, anyway. You're too late for girl talk."

"It's all right to be nervous. I won't laugh. I was scared shitless the first time Rose and I—"

"Stop!" I sat up quickly and dropped the phone to cover my ears.

I still heard Emmett's laughter over the line. After the mental images faded, I picked the phone up and suffered the last of his chuckles.

"Look, I'm calling to perform my brotherly duty. I left a little something for you. I figured someday you'd find your balls and need it."

"I've watched porn, Emmett," I said flatly.

He roared again. "Baby's all growed up."

I contemplated hanging up, but he had me curious. My pride was dispensable if I could learn how to please Bella…or at least not embarrass the hell out of myself.

"That stuff you've watched doesn't take the girl into account at all, dumbass. You know how to get off, but what about Bella?"

My silence spurred him on.

"I kept a little collection and set it aside for this day. I knew it was coming." He snorted at his cleverness. "Check under your desk."

"You left porn in my room?" I was horrified. "What if Mom found it?"

"Just look, spaz."

Sure enough, he'd taped a disc to the underside of my desk where no one could find it unless looking specifically for it. I thanked him quickly and hung up without another word.

A glance at the clock told me I had at least an hour before I needed to get ready and go pick up Bella, so I locked the door and settled onto my bed. The CD whizzed and whirred loudly, and heat rushed to my cheeks. My parent's couldn't possibly have heard the noise, but my guilt made it seem so much louder.

When the first scene started, I stared in shock. No naked bodies or cheesy music. No dirty words or enthusiastic grunting. What the hell had Emmett left for me to watch?

Instead, a scene from familiar movie showed a man desperately in love with a woman. His eyes burned, and every kiss conveyed adoration instead of lust. She shivered when he caressed her cheek, sighed when their fingers tangled. Laughter punctuated the passion, making the scene even sweeter.

Jesus, my brother was smart. I already knew everything I needed to know.

I loved Bella, and she loved me. As long as we remembered that when we touched, we had nothing to fear.

oOo

Almost there! The outtake will feature on Dirty Cheeky Monkeys profile on October 3, so put them on alert. It'll be a chapter on Squeeze My Lemon. I'm super nervous, but m7707 is holding my hand through it all.

For the T stuff, justaskalice and I have posted another story on our JustAskSunKing profile. It's called Mixtape, and it's all kinds of silly fun set to tunes from 1994. We hope you'll check it out.


	22. Chapter 22

"I can't believe you just did that!"

Bella spilled through the door into the parking lot, her cheeks high with color. She didn't look back at the festivities we'd left behind, not even to wave goodbye to Alice.

"What? Refused to put my arms around another girl?"

She stopped and turned, the skirt of her dress swinging invitingly. I had to rip my gaze from the sparkling sequins to see the surprise on her face.

"Well, that's what it was. You weren't all gung-ho about being Prom Queen or anything. I knew you didn't care about that. It was all about holding her when I wanted to hold you."

"But it was just a dance, Edward. The king always dances with the queen. You didn't have to abdicate. I mean, you threw your scepter in protest." She stepped closer and put a hand on my arm.

I slid my fingers through hers and brushed my lips over her knuckles. "I did not throw it. I dropped it. And it's not just a dance. It's touching another girl. I swore to myself I'd never give you any reason to doubt me, and that includes an innocent dance to a stupid song."

Bella laid her head on my chest and sighed. Without words, we moved to music we couldn't hear. I released her hands and wrapped my arms around her, pulling her even closer as we swayed.

"I'm not unreasonable," she whispered. "You can have friends that are girls."

I laughed into her hair and pressed a kiss to her forehead. My beautiful, sweet, generous, understanding Bella. How she trusted me, after I'd nearly lost her because of my stupid, flirtatious ways.

"My friendships aren't suffering, baby. Friends or not, there's never a reason for me to touch any girl the way I touch you."

Fierce love and gratitude burned in her eyes. "Let's go. Let's get out of here."

And just like that, I was a fucking rock star again. How did my girl always make me feel like a king? No, not a king, since I'd abdicated my throne. A ninja. I was a ninja. I hoped I could keep that up in bed when we got to the hotel, but for at least that one moment, I kicked ass.

That feeling, that all-consuming, master-of-all-things feeling, crashed the moment I turned into the hotel parking lot. I hadn't skimped. The hotel was one of the nicest in Knoxville, even if we would only be there for a few hours. I couldn't put my finger on the problem. I was about to call Bella mine in every way possible, and she would do the same with me. We wanted nothing more than to share the last of ourselves with each other, but something was really, terribly wrong.

Bella didn't move after I parked the car. We stared up at the building in front of us, silent save for our breaths. When I got the nerve to look, I saw she was white as a sheet.

"Are you afraid?"

She jolted in her seat, and pink filled her cheeks. I grabbed for her hand and squeezed it.

"Not of you…of what we're going to do. I just…"

"Something's wrong."

"No! It's a beautiful hotel. But maybe we should… I don't know."

"I mean something feels wrong about this. About going in there to, well, you know."

Her smile returned as she realized we were on the same page. Fingers gripped and slipped as she pressed our palms together and pulled my hand to her heart.

"We can't make love here for the first time."

I thought I had spoken, but it seemed Bella had the same thought at the same time. Our words tumbled and tangled, colored with relief and happiness. I didn't give a single thought to the roses waiting in the room I'd reserved, or the bottle of sparkling cider chilling in the refrigerator. Not once did I worry about the added cost of the jetted tub, balcony, or room service I'd arranged. All that mattered was making Bella comfortable. Unfortunately, my words didn't convey this concern.

"So, we're still doing this?"

Jesus, I was a dork. _This? Doing this? _Could I not at least call it what it was, like an adult at least?

"If by 'this,' you mean having sex, yes. Yes, Edward. I want you. Just not here. I don't know where, but not in some random hotel in Knoxville. I mean…am I right?"

I jammed the key back in the ignition, shoved the car in reverse, and stomped on the gas. If she wanted to go anywhere but where we were, I would get her there as quickly as I could.

oOo

THAT'S NOT THE END, but it's all you'll see here. You can read the rest of the outtake on the Dirty Cheeky Monkeys profile. Visit fanfiction ~ dirtycheekymonkeys, and check out the last entry in Squeeze My Lemon.

If you still can't find it, let me know, and I'll figure out another way to get you there. Enjoy!


	23. Chapter 23

Fandom4TwiFanG Outtake

Here's what was going through Edward's head during the truck-top stripping scene. Thanks so much for reading!

oOo

In the most ridiculous move I'd ever made to impress a girl, I stood on top of my truck with my pants around my ankles. My mother would never forgive me, but the blush on Bella's cheeks and the faint smile on her face as she pretended to ignore me made everything worth it.

Worth it, that was, until the cop car came to a screeching halt in front of the gas station. I didn't even have time to consider pulling up my pants before I was dragged off the roof of the truck and introduced to Bella's father in the way most likely to get me killed before my eighteenth birthday.

Life officially sucked. I would go to juvie. I was way too delicate for jail.

Also, the last thing Bella would remember of me before I died at the hands of another delinquent who did so much worse than a strip tease to Def Leppard's—arguably—greatest hit was the handcuffs that would make it impossible to cover my pansiest boxers.

I hadn't thought ahead, or I might have chosen black or red—anything but baby blue. What self-respecting guy wooing a girl wears baby blue boxers?

There was no time to even say goodbye as I was hustled into the back of her father's cruiser and locked inside. I tried not to watch forlornly as she left me there while she went to pay, especially since her father was on his way over to rip me a new asshole.

"So you're Edward Cullen." He stared at me in the rearview mirror, his eyes appraising my every move.

The net between us was just as intimidating as the man, and I worked hard not to piss myself.

"Yes, sir."

What else could I have said?

"I was under the impression you were a nice young man. Edna's not usually wrong about these things."

_Oh, God. _If Granny Edna had been talking about me, there was no telling what Bella already knew.

"Uh, well…I do some dumb stuff on occasion."

The man's mustache quivered for a minute, but his eyes remained hard. "You don't say."

Silence descended, and it was worse than if he'd yelled at me. I was just about to beg him for the handcuffs and a night in jail if only he'd say something when he finally spoke.

"She's a special girl."

My breath whooshed out of me in a rush, and before I could stop myself from showing every card I held, I vomited words.

"You have no idea. She's like no one I've ever met before. It's not just that she's pretty, because, Jesus, she's stunning. And it's not that she's smart and nice and funny. She's just…"

I remembered who I was talking to and clamped my lips shut quickly. He'd never let me within fifty feet of her…and he could do that, too. He was her father, after all. And the police.

"Letner said you got in a fight defending her honor."

Christ. The principal and the sheriff were already friends. I was screwed.

"Said you were trying to teach the boys respect," he continued, studying me in the mirror.

I wished he'd turn around and just talk to me.

"They said some pretty disgusting things," I answered quietly. Inside, I was raging all over again.

"Well, do you think it's respectful to take your clothes off in front of her?"

Fuck. The man had a point.

"Tell you what, Edward Cullen. In spite of what I've seen today, I'm gonna take Edna's word for it that you're a good kid. I'm also gonna take her word for it that you're nuts about my girl, though, which means I'll be keeping my eye on you. Don't mess up again."

Then and there, I promised myself I wouldn't take my clothes off around Bella again.

Unless she asked me to.


End file.
